It's the cold side of the minor leagues. Not long after this season ends, his name, just like those of many St. Louis Cardinals farmhands, will be mentioned behind closed doors.

The veterans seem more vulnerable than most. Up-and-down votes determine whether you get to stick around, and Travis Tartamella would appear to be one of those odd men out, at first glance.

The Springfield Cardinals catcher played in his 251st game Friday night, and three other numbers stick out: 906, 4 and .195. In order, those reference his career plate appearances in the minors, tours in Double-A and career batting average. No, not a wow factor.

But beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

"If I want to win a game, I've always caught Tart. Prior to this year, I'd venture to say his winning percentage is .700 on nights he starts. That's a stat I bring up a lot. Those are real numbers," manager Mike Shildt said, adding that "getting a (pitcher) through a game is an art."

Added Shildt, "I know one thing — when we have our meetings at the end of the year, we say why that's important. That's a part of how we develop a pitcher."

Tartamella's work in Springfield's 4-1 loss to Arkansas on Friday became a case in point. A Hammons Field crowd of 5,703 saw Cardinals right-hander Kurt Heyer work seven full innings, in which he allowed only three hits after the game's first three batters reached on singles.

Here's why that's important: Heyer's earned run average in the sixth and seventh innings this year have been eyesores — 10.03 and 6.75, respectively. It's a chore handling a lineup a third time.

Cue Tartamella, now in his sixth year in the minors.

Two years ago, his work transformed prospect Carlos Martinez — who didn't throw enough fastballs, believe it or not —into a potential starting pitcher, as they added a go-to sinker to compliment his near-100 mph heater.

Heyer (3-10) took the loss but showed progressed Friday, later pointing out pitchers know Tartamella worked with Trevor Rosenthal, Seth Maness, Kevin Siegrist and many others before they became big-leaguers.

"He's basically like our Yadi (Molina) on this team. He's got that leadership role," Heyer said. He later added, "We threw a 3-2 breaking ball tonight, and I'm not used to doing that. That's one thing that separates you from those big-league guys. You have to throw that pitch. That's kind of like the separator. He just built enough confidence in me throwing that."

But being astute earns accolades. This spring, Tartamella earned his first invitation to St. Louis' big-league camp and took mental notes of Molina's routines and advice. The invite came two years after Tartamella assisted Springfield's Texas League pennant, in a season when he took a foul ball straight off his face. A year ago, he was a sidekick to former big-league catcher Rob Johnson in Triple-A Memphis.

"I don't think it's a big secret that everybody sees me as a defensive catcher. I still take pride in trying to improve my swing," Tartamella said. "But I try to come in and have good relationships with the guys and learn which buttons to push. I help them but they help me tremendously. It's a give-and-take thing."